Users of portable electronic devices often must carry more that one such device in order to be able to use and implement diverse desired information technology and telecommunications (IT&T) functions. Typically existing function-specific portable electronic devices include laptop computers, mobile wireless telephones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA), electronic books, music players, video players, electronic-game sets, geostationary positioning systems (GPS), and a variety of other application-specific portable electronic gadgets each offering a different use or application.
Progress in miniaturization already enables manufacturers to offer today several such functions combined in a single apparatus. A state-of-the-art hand-held device, for example the iPAQ Model 6315 of the Hewlett Packard company, offers: full PDA functions; cellular telephone; wireless connectivity for data (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth); digital camera; MP3 music player; reading of downloaded books; sound recording; touch-sensitive display and attachable miniature keyboard; simplified software programs such as Microsoft® Word, Outlook and Excel; all in a space of approx. 4.5″×3″×0.75″. However, such highly portable devices always offer compromises between what users need or want and what technology allows manufacturers to offer at market prices. The HP iPAQ, for example, could use more memory (e.g. a hard disk) and a higher-speed processor, the latter implying a need for bigger battery power. Also, its small display screen makes viewing of websites and reading of text rather uncomfortable. Although existing notebook computers incorporating several of the functions mentioned above offer display screens of adequate size, such computers are generally bulky and heavy to carry.
Thus there exists a need for a portable electronic IT&T apparatus that is flexibly adaptable to users' needs by being modular and expandable while maintaining overall sizes and weights of the order, for example, of those of thin paperback books. In addition, commercially available existing portable systems do not offer the user the flexibility and ability to selectively choose and combine among a variety of needed functions performed by modules that may be either mechanically coupled together or physically separated, and which are compatibly dimensioned. Also, commercially available existing portable systems lack the ability to functionally connect several modules in order to yield powerful systems and achieve synergies among the modules by, for example, optimally distributing component parts and functions among the modules.